SLOVAKIA will have a Historical Institute in Rome as of 2011. The Slovak parliament greenlighted the launch of the institute, which will be engaged in research, publishing and cooperation with scientific institutions, on March 10, the TASR newswire wrote. The initiative was drafted by Slovak National Party (SNS) MPs, who pointed to the importance of historical archives in Rome.
The MPs said they believed that the absence of Slovak science in the sensitive and prestigious Roman and Vatican scientific and cultural environment causes great damage to Slovakia and prevents Slovak historians from exploring the rich historical resources in Rome and The Vatican.
Tasks assigned to the new institute will include systematic research of materials of any kind relating to Slovakia and Slovaks in the archives of The Vatican and its congregations, as well as systematic exploration of historical books relating to Slovakia and Slovaks.
